Wind turbines causing a rift among farmers, energy companies

STRATFORD, Wis. (WSAW) - Farmland First is a group of concerned citizens from Marathon and Clark Counties with a hope to provide the information on industrial wind turbines they feel they’re not getting from Invenergy.

In recent months, the Chicago-based company has been approaching farmers in Marathon County about installing turbines on their land.

In a packed house with about 400 people attending the meeting in the Town of Johnson near Stratford, people showed worry for the environment and the integrity of their neighborhoods, while others were left with unanswered questions.

Some of the career farmers have concerns about the wind energy systems. “Health concerns, noise, and just too many concerns. You basically have three percent of the people in the township making a decision that’s going to affect 97 percent that have no say, so everybody should have a say,” said Norman Beran, of the Town of Johnson.

Town of Johnson Chairman Tom Ellenbecker hopes this meeting helps explain the impact the turbines will have on farmers. Invenergy has approached many of them already with contracts that provide very little information. “I wish that these companies come to the state, come in and say ‘let’s read these contracts over so everybody knows what’s in them.’ That’s the problem a lot of farmers look at,” said Ellenbecker.

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